Pelham Coops (Rye, Scarsdale, Great Neck: apartments, homes, neighborhood)

[brooklynmama0217]

I'm originally from the Bronx around Pelham Pkwy, but I've been living in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn for over a decade. I'm recently divorced and a single mama with a son in the 5th grade...I'm not fond of the junior high school and high school options in the city. Schools are bad (not talking just academics, but violent bad) unless you can test into a magnet school and there is just too much chance involved with that. Also, I've heard that those small magnet schools have a high pressure environment where you miss out on the stuff that creates forever school memories, like sports, dances, prom etc.


I'm a paralegal and work on w27th and 6th avenue and I am considering 2 areas where I have found coops in my range. Great Neck on Long Island and Pelham in Westchester.


I am liking the idea of Pelham, it seems to have the best of both worlds being well connected to the city (Bx MTA buses that take you straight to the #4 train at Woodlawn, the Metro North) plus good schools and the coops are affordable!!!


What can you tell me about Pelham? I've seen two places that are 2/1's in my price range. One in Pelham Manor on Pelhamdale, and the other on Boston Post Road in Pelham proper.

Anything that you can tell me that a realtor can't/won't, I would love to hear.

I heard from a friend from the old neighborhood that's lots of former Bx Italians from areas like Pelham Bay, Throggs Neck, Morris Park are moving into Pelham because of the proximity, the good schools, and lower crime..is this true? I really don't mind that at all, I'm essentially doing the same thing except with a stint in Brooklyn

I just want a safe, middle class neighborhood where my son will get a good education and be safe, but also I don't want him to be the only kid whose parents aren't millionaires with homes in the Hamptons who get them BMW's as soon as they get their permit, which I fear would be the case in areas like Rye and Scarsdale..is that the case in Pelham? Hearing that rumor that a lot of ex-NYers/Bronxites are moving there put my mind to ease about that.


Thanks

[car_hill89]

I know a few families there and they are happy. The taxes are astronomical in Pelham so, while it may not be at the caliber of Rye or Scarsdale, the people in town are wealthy by most reasonable standards. The neighborhood serviced by Hutchinson school approaches middle class. I do not believe that either of the addresses that you mentioned is zoned for that school. Perhaps you could arrange to visit the schools that are zoned for those apartments? It might give you a better feel for the community.

[KathyNY76]

My stepdaughter grew up in the co-ops on Pelhamdale. She's currently a college sophomore, so I'm sure things could have changed a bit! She had a fine time as (I'm pretty sure the only) hispanic kid in her grade. There was also a lunchtime enrichment class for kids of divorce, so she definitely wasn't the only kid in that boat. However, the elementary school zoned for the co-ops has lots of the affluent families. When they got to middle school, when the kids all come together from the various parts of town (including the less affluent areas), it was much clearer to her elementary friends that she belonged to the 'have nots' (well, really, the 'have less' because her father paid for all the 'extras' she could possibly need, but didn't over-indulge with electronics, designer clothes and extravagant vacations and such). She basically lost all her friends from elementary school and only hung out with the less affluent kids from the other side of town.

THAT said, they were nice kids and she made some good friends and got a great education. And I think there are more "middle class" kids there than in a Rye or Scarsdale. But I still don't think I'd probably choose it as a 'more middle class' option. What about Marmaroneck? I feel like it has affluent areas, but the people seem a little more down to earth to me (at least it seemed that way when I lived there about 10 years ago).